Working out in groups could lead to more weight loss

2/14/2012

Employee wellness programs encourage obese workers to get healthy, and these initiatives can also involve group exercise events that get the whole staff involved. This could be an effective way for people to shed pounds, as a new study published in the journal Obesity has found that weight loss may be contagious.

What study authors mean by "contagious" is that they found that participants in a team-based weight loss competition significantly influenced each other’s ability to shed pounds.

"In our study, weight loss clearly clustered within teams, which suggests that teammates influenced each other, perhaps by providing accountability, setting expectations of weight loss and providing encouragement and support," said lead author Tricia Leahey, Ph.D.

Study participants who lost at least five percent of their initial body weight tended to be on the same team, and, furthermore, teams with the most members lost the greatest number of pounds. Interestingly, group leaders seemed to have the most significant weight loss, most likely due to the fact that it was their job to keep the others motivated.

To read more, click here.